with the winde should threaten thy shipwrack wouldest thou not indeuour to recouer some Port Behold the world how it shakes and is ready to dissolue manifesting in the ende her vtter ruine Why therfore thinkest thou not on God Why reioicest thou not the condition wherein thou standest seeing thy selfe taken betimes out of those ruines shipwrackes and warranted from the blowes that threaten those which suruiue Wee must consider deare brethren and seriously meditate how we haue renounced the world that we reside therin but for a time as pilgrims and strangers Let vs euē embrace that day which summoneth euery one of vs to his proper dwelling place which hales and puls vs out of the snares of this life to put vs in possessiō of the kingdom of heauen He that trauels vp and downe countreys to some farre place desires he not to returne to his owne home If any man be vnder saile in the course towards his countrey desires he not a good winde to fall quickly with the land the more speedily by this meanes to come to the imbracemēts of his kinred and friends We call Paradise our countrey and the Patriarkes our Fathers Why run wee not then with all speed to see our countrey and to salute our Parēts A great number of friēds kinsfolks brothers and children already assured of their immortalitie and desirous of our good doe there attend and wish for vs. What a ioy will this bee both to them vs there to review and meet one another what pleasures there are amongst the inhabitants of the heauēly kingdom which now feare death no more and are sure to liue for euer There is the glorious cōpany of the Apostles the troups of Prophets reioicing in God the innumerable armies of martyrs who after hauing valiantly fought and suffered are immortally crowned In this place the Virgines triumph which subdued their own concupiscence bodily pleasures by the vigor of true continēce the charitable that by almes deedes and diuers other good workes towards the poor shewed themselues the performers of righteousnes and who hauing obeyed the commandements of God heaped vp vnto themselues a treasure in heauē where they are richly recompensed My most deare brethren let vs with all affection runne towards them and desire to bee there quickly and so to come vnto our Sauiour God behold our cogitations and thoughts the Lord Iesus Christ vouch safe to cast his eye on the resolutiō which our hearts in his promises haue vndertaken that they may haue the richest and most glorious rewards that with most ardent and zealous affectiō desire his presence Amen A Treatise of S. AMBROSE Bishop of Milan who flourished twenty yeers after S. CYPRIAN which is to say 370 yeeres after the birth of CHRIST Of the happinesse of death THE ARGVMENT IN this Treatise being diuided into 12. Chapters S. Ambrose shewes in what sense Death may be called good or euil and how many kinds of death there are Also what it is which the holy Scripture calles life death and what the meaning is of spiritual death Afterwards he prooues that death is happinesse to the faithfull seeing it is an end of sinne and by the same the world was redeemed Hereupon he cōcludes that therfore it is not to be feared teaching vs how wee should meditate thereupon But the better to take away all apprehension and bitternes he discourseth vpō al the dangers that in this world enuiron vs and vpon the discommodities of this life And then hee reenters into his former argument shewing that there is nothing terrible in death but the opinion thereof Then he proues that the soule doeth not perish with the body and entreats of the great contentment of soules after this present life as also of the happinesse of the celestiall kingdom and what wayes wee should take to come thereunto Of the happines of Death CHAP. 1. In what sense death may bee tearmed good or euill BEing to intreat of the happines of death wee must first conceiue in what respect it may bee called good or euill If it therefore hurt the soule it appeares to be an euil thing and on the contrary if the soule be endamaged nothing therby it cānot iustly be blamed Now that which is not euil is good for that which is vitious is euill also and so oppositely whatsoeuer is without vice may bee reputed good therfore good is contrary to euill and euill to good In briefe where there is no will to hurt that may be called innocēce and him we tearm culpable that is not innocent he that pardons merciful so him cruel that wil not pardon nor remit But some may replie that there are no things more cōtrary thā life and death If life thē bee reputed a speciall good must not death be esteemed as great an euill We must then obserue what life death is Life is the enioying of breath and death the priuation thereof Many thinke that it is a great happinesse to breathe to enioy life therefore is a good vnto them and a death it is to bee depriued thereof So the Scripture sayth Beholde Eccl. 15. I haue set before thee life death good and euill calling life good Gen. 2.3 and death euill comparing them one with another And to produce yet a more expresse testimony hereof the first man was placed in the garden of Eden to eate of the fruit of the Tree of life of other fruits in the garden with a precise prohibition that he should not eate the fruit of the Tree of knowledge of good and euill threatning him that he should that day die the death when he did eate therof He went beyond his cōmission lost the Tree of life being driuen out of the garden tasted of death Wherfore it followes that death is a notable euill seeing it is the rewarde of transgression and condemnation CHAP. 2. That there are three kinds of Death BVt there are three kindes of death The first is the death of sinne of which it is writtē Ezek. 18. The soule which sinneth shall die The second is death mysticall when any one dies to sinne and liues to God of which the Apostle sayth that wee are buried with Iesus Christ Rom. 6. in his death by Baptisme The third is the end of our course vocation in this worlde which is to say the separation of the soule from the body we see therefore that ther is an euill death that is when we die in sin another good wherin whosoeuer dies he is deliuered from sin and the third betwixt both for honest men repute it good and others stand in feare of it Though it deliuers all men yet are there but a few that take pleasure therein but that proceeds not from any vice that is in death that is in the separation of the soule from the body but from our infirmities in that giuing our selues ouer to the pleasures of the flesh and delights of
thouendest it is all one end where thou wilt so thou concludest with a good periode Epist. XCIIII WE chide Destiny euery day why takes not death such an one why takes he him in the middest of his course why doeth such an one tenter out an old age irkesome to himself and others I pray you which is more reasonable that Nature should obey you or you Nature why takest thou care at what hour thou shalt depart seeing frō hence thou art sure to go We must not be careful how to liue long but how to liue suficiently To liue long depēds on Destiny to liue sufficiētly depēds on thine owne will That life is long which is accōplished then it is accomplisht fulfilled when the will is content when the mind enioies her happinesse and is settled in her own power What good hath such an one by hauing idlely passed ouer fourescore yeares Hee hath not properly liued but soiourned in this life He died not slowely but long seeing his life was no other but a death But thou wilt say hee liued fourescore yeeres thou must obserue frō what day thou reckonest his death for the vnprofitable part thereof hath been but death On the contrary another although he died in his vigor and strength discharged the offices of a good citizen a good friend a good childe hee omitted nothing of his duety though his age were vnperfect yet his life was perfect Why then dear friend Lucilius let our life bee vnto vs as the most precious things are let vs measure it not according to the time but according to our actions not according to the continuance but after the effectes of the same Wee may commend and repute him happy that wel emploied the little time he had to liue Age is an externall thing and without ourselues Though I be here yet this depends of another thing but to be an honest man depends on my selfe Require you of mee that I passe not my time obscurely as it were in darkenesse that I leade a true life that my time bee not lost demaunde you which is the longest life It is to liue while we attaine to wisedom he which comes to this point though he arriue not to the longer mark at least yet he hath obtained the principall Death passeth ouer all He that killed followes him that was slain It is nothing for which we take so much care And what matter is it how long thou auoidest that which in the ende cannot by any meanes bee auoided why fliest thou backe from that which thou canst not shunne Epist. C. OBserue the swiftnes of time consider the shortnesse of this carriere the which we also runne so speedily Marke the following on of all humane kind tending all to one place They which seem to be farre off followe notwithstanding hard after others Hee who thou supposest to bee dead is but onely sent before Can there bee a more vnreasonable matter than when thou must necessarilie performe the same iournie to weep for him which hath out-gone thee in the way Whosoeuer lamēts for any ones death laments onely because hee was a man One selfe all the world Whosoeuer was first born must afterwards die We are distinguished by measurable space but equall in the issue One goes before another followes but both goe the same way All things are dissolued all things passe into their contrary this being Dame Natures pleasure In all these revolutions of humane things there is nothing certaine but Death and yet euery one cōplaines of that which neuer failed nor deceiued any body But he died being an infant I will not in this point also affirme that it was the better for him to be so soone dispatched out of this life But let vs come to him that hath liued to olde yeeres I pray you what great matter hath hee gained of this Infant In vnderstanding and ideally propound vnto thy selfe this wonderful distance of time and comprehend it all together Afterwards compare me with this Infinite the ordinary age of man then thou shalt see how small a matter it is that wee desire and how little it is that we extend out in length And yet of this age let vs but consider how much is spent in griefe how much in cares how much in the conceit of death before it comes to our wished desire how much in sicknesse how much in fears briefly how much in our yong and vnprofitable yeers And notwithstanding of all this we euen sleep out the moity Adde hereunto the troubles sorows and daungers you shall see that in the longest life of all the time which we truly liue is the least of al. Life is neither good nor euill but it is the place of good or euill Hee that dies in his youth in that by all likelihoode hee might aswell haue impaired as amēded is like one that hath lost a die wherwith he might rather haue lost thā won In briefe for the breuitie of age if you compare it to the infinitie of time we are al equally young and old for the most extended age of a man is but as a point or minute Epist CII EAche day eache hower teacheth vs that we are nothing by some very fresh and vnanswerable argumēt puts vs in minde of our fragility whē we would otherwise forget it vrging vs to haue an eye vnto death when intellectually we conceiue in our selues some eternitie Graft Pear-trees plant vines in order said a certain man Oh what a foolish thing it is to proportion out our age we haue not so much as the power of to morrowe in our hands Oh what a wonderful foolerie their hopes come vnto which enter into long and tedious affairs I will buy I will build I will put out for profit I will exact I will purchase Honors and then in time wee come to these resolutions but I am old and my old age being satisfied in all these things I will lead it in repose and quiet Beleeue that euen to those deemed most happie all things are doubtfull No man can promise any thing to him selfe of future things and that which we hold slippes euen out of our hands that hower it self which we instantly run some incommodity or other glides betweene our fingers Time passes away according to a certaine and immutable lawe but cōcealed from vs. Now what haue I to doe whether this bee certain and knowen vnto Nature or not seeing it is vncertaine and vnknowen vnto me We many times propound vnto our selues long nauigations not to returne againe in a long time while we haue run vaging about and discouering many straunge coastes wee propound to our selues the wars and the slowe recompenses of our military indeuours briefly of place honours and aduancement from one office to another And in the meane while Death comes vpon vs without euer thinking thereon if it bee not sometimes exposed to our eyes by the examples of others mortality which takes no longer impression
those which saile by sea were to be esteemed amongst those neither liuing nor dead For man being created to liue vpon the earth hee launches out into the waters minding at one instant to participate of two contrary elements and casts himself desperatly into the armes of Fortune Thou wilt peraduenture say that the labour and tillage of the earth is a pleasant thing I agree thereunto but with how many miseries is this contentment accompanied Doth it not bring foorth euery day some occasion of griefe and sorrow now rain by and by drought to day burning heat to morrow nipping frost and thus by times either vnseasonable scorchings or immoderate cold But not to insist vpon many other vocacations of life to how many perils is the gouernment of States subiect whereof many doe so highly esteeme The ioy and pleasure therein comprehended resembleth fitly an vlcer or violent beating of the pulse the being put beside the saddle in such offices makes the ambitious cold at heart procures them more discontentment than if they were to suffer a thousand deaths Can a man be happie while he liues at the discretion of the vulgar what reputation otherwise soeuer he be in or though euerie one reuerence him neuer so much seeing he is but the peoples puppit who may disgrade him hisse at him condemne him to penalty bring him to miserie and somtimes also puts him to death I demand of thee Axiocus because thou hast swayed this Scepter of Magistracie where died Miltiades Themistocles Ephialtes with other Princes and great Captaines which preceded them For my part I would neuer accept of their suffrages supposing it a thing very vnproper for mee to be an associate or head of so dangerous a beast as the common people but Theramines and Callixines together with their guarde sending Iudges the day after cōstituted vpon purpose condemned to death all those that any waies were their opposites without permitting thē any hearing As for thee Axiocus thou with Triptolemus vpheldest equitie although in the assembly there were thirty thousand of a cōtrary opinion which gaue negatiue voyces Axi You say but truth Socrates and since that time I haue had enough of such conuentions nothing seems vnto me more harsh and vnfauorie than the management of publike affairs They that euer had to do therein can wel auerre so much as for your selfe you speake but afarre off and as one iudging by the blowes which haue light vpon others But wee that haue played our part therein may speake by better proofes In very trueth my friend Socrates the people are verie ingrate cumbersome cruell enuious euill taught compounded of the very dregs of men and of those that are insolent and great mockers I iudge him to be most miserable that wil bee too familiar with such a beast Soc. Why then Axiocus seeing you detest the fairest imployment of all others what may we say of the rest must wee not shun them But for the remainder I haue heard this Prodicus adding to the other discourses this also ensuing that death concerned not either the liuing or the dead Axio What 's this you affirme Socrates Socr. Why because Death is no wayes hurtfull to those that are liuing and for the dead they are out of his iurisdiction And therfore now it does not endammage you because yet you liue and when you shal not be aliue he can haue no power ouer you because then you are past his stroake any more It is therefore but a vaine sorrowe for Axiocus to lament that which neither doth nor shal hereafter concerne him no otherwise than as it would be a notable folly to be afeard of monsters which thou seest not which presently haue no existence and that after thy death haue no beeing That which is redoubtfull therein is hideous onely to those that forge feares to thēselues For is there any thing that can bring terror to the dead Axioc You haue stollen these wise perswasions from the Orators that at this day beare all the sway for they are the men that make these pleasant relations to sooth and humor yong men but I for my part am exceeding loth to leaue these worldly goods whatsoeuer you are able to alleage vnto me in your conference of pleasing apparance my mind findes no perfect contentmēt in this smooth course of words which doe but a little delight and tickle in their vtterance They beare a good shew with them but they are too remote from truth and our cogitations are not fedde with fantasies but with things firme and solide that are able inwardly to pearce settle themselues Soc. But Axiocus you inconsideratlie couple together those things which should not be cōioined in making vs beleeue that to feele euill and be depriued of good are the selfe same things for the suffering of euill brings griefe vnto him that loseth a good Now you forget that being dead you are no more and he that is not cannot perceiue this priuation how can he therefore be greeued at a thing whereof hee shall haue no apprehension If at the first you had resolued with mee that in death our bodies are depriued of sense you would neuer haue been so fond as to feare death Now you contradict your selfe in fearing to bee depriued of your soule ioyning this soule to your imagined losse For in fearing to lose your sense you suppose by the same sense to comprehend an euill which you build vnto your self in the aire and that you are afraid to feele Besides this aboue alleaged there are many excellent arguments to prooue the immortalitie of the soule For a mortall nature would neuer haue vndertaken such great matters as to contemne the violence of cruell beasts to crosse the Seas to build cities to establish publike gouernments to contemplate the heauens to obserue the course of the starres of the Sunne and of the Moone their Eclipses and sudden restitutions the rising and falling of the Pleiades the Equinoctials the Solstice of Winter and Summer the windes violent raines with flashings lightnings and thunder She would not haue comprehended in writing nor consecrated to eternity those things that fal out in the world were she not accompanied with some diuine Spirit to haue the intelligence and knowledge of such high and mysticall matters And therefore Axiocus thou must passe vnto an immortall life and not to death thou shalt not be stripped of all but enioy true goods thou shalt haue pleasures no waie intermingled with this mortall body but absolutely pure and indefectiue and such as most truely deserue to be called pleasures For thou being loosed out of this prison and become truely free thou shalt goe vnto a place where there is no trauel nor lamentation from whence sorrow and old age are banished thy life shall bee exempted from all euill replenished with secure repose and eternal ioyes Thou shalt there behold the nature of al things conferring no more thy mindes trauell to their affections
Out of the same Booke Of the meanes how to endure aduersity WHy doe so many euils happen vnto good men there can nothing occurre which is euill to a good man Contrary things mooue him not Hee esteems all aduersities as so many exercises Who is that honorable man which is not desirous of some noble and vertuous labour and euen with hazard and perill to go forward in honorable endeuours vertue pines and weares away if it haue not an opposite Then she appeares what she is of what value and what she is able to performe when by patience she discouers her puissance Let honest men therefore take euerie thing in good part and turne vnto good whatsoeuer happens vnto them It is all one what thou sufferest but how thou sufferest take great heed Seeest thou how fathers mothers sometimes intreate their children Fathers commaund their children to endeuor to go about a thing speedily they cannot endure that they should be idle no not on Holy Festiuall dayes and in briefe they often-times bring both sweat tears into their eies Contrariwise mothers they would haue thē alwayes vnder their noses in the chimny corner in the coole shade they would neuer haue them crie by their willes neuer afflicted annoyed or any wayes troubled God carries a Fathers heart towards honest men his is a more man-like loue he tosses and harries them vp and downe with trauaile griefe and losse to the ende they should purchase by this means true and powerful force But those bodies that we put out to grasse do not only faint vnder labour but they languish in idlenesse and vnder their owne burden and waight sinke and fall downe That felicitie which was neuer so much as shaken cannot stand out a geat storme Amongst many other singular sayings of our friend Demetrius this pleaseth mee well the which is alwaies fresh in my memorie soundeth as it were in mine eares I thinke no man saith hee more vnhappie than hee that neuer had anie aduersitie or euill Fortune The more labour and toyle the greater and truer honour Out of the same Booke Of Prosperitie PRosperitie falles out to the vulgar sort to base and abiect spirits but it is proper to a worthy famous man to subdue calamities whatsoeuer daunteth mortal mē I Iudge thee miserable in that thou neuer wert so vnfortunate in neuer meeting with any mishap Thou hast past al thy life without hauing an enemie no man by this can discerne of thy worth nor thou thy selfe of thine owne To knowe our selues wel it is needful to make some trial who can doe this that neuer came to proofe vertue desires danger and obserues to what it tends what the scope thereof is and not what shee must endure for to attaine to the same For euen her very indurāce is a great part of her glory A Pilot may bee well knowen in time of a tempest a souldier in the heat of battell How shall I knowe thy courage in resisting of pouertie as long as thou swimmest in wealth How may I discerne with what constancie of minde thou art able to withstand Infamie Ignominy and the peoples hate if thou wallowest in generall applause if an insupplantable fauour by a certain inclination of harts and affections prosecute thee perpetually Thy calamitie is a spurre vnto vertue whom God loues therefore those he proues he hardens he acknowledgeth hee visits he exerciseth Cōtrariwise those whom he seemes to flatter and spare he doth but weaken effeminate them for euils to come Why doth God afflict the better sort with sickenesse griefe and discommodities Why in a camp are the most perillous actions commited to the most couragious and valiant Why doe Captaines sende out choice souldiers to giue the enemie a Camisado to discouer a way to winne a passage and to driue them away that guarde the same There is none of them will say my Captaine hath done me wrong but rather hee holds mee in great esteem The same must they alleage that endure euils sent from God whereat cowards and effeminate men lament God thought vs worthy as in whom to make triall how much humane nature is able to suffer and endure Shun pleasures flie this feeble and effeminate felicitie which distempers intenerates the hart drowning it in a perpetuall drunken sleepe if sometimes there happen not another contrary accident to put him in mind of his humane conditition Ah is it not farre better to support a continuall infelicitie which inuiteth vnto vertue than to stoope vnder an infinite burdē of prosperities And therfore God deales with honest men as masters do with their schollers who set thē the greatest lesson taske of whom most hope is conceiued I pray you tell me Doe you thinke that the Lacedaemonians hated their children when they made such a triall of their nature and condition as to whip them publikely Their fathers themselues animated them to beare couragiously the ierkes of the whips and being lamentably lashed and halfe dead they yet requested them to adde lash vnto lash No maruell then though God tempt and hardly intreat the more generous spirits To bee in dayly daunger makes vs lightly esteeme the same Thus are the bodies of Mariners hardened vnto the Sea Thus growe knobs in the poore Labourers hands Thus are the souldiers armes trained vp to throwe a dart The members of those that runne made nimble to passe the race To conclude that part is strongest in any one that most is exercised There is not so firme nor solide a tree as that which the winde oftenest beateth vpon for by being thus beaten and blasted it knits together and spreadeth his rootes more firmely in the earth I remember also that I heard this couragious speach from Demetrius O immortall Gods sayd hee I complaine of you for this one thing that you made mee not sooner to vnderstand your will For I would haue come thither of my selfe whither I goe now but beeing sent Will you take away my children Why here they are Will you haue away one part of my bodie why take it freely It is no great matter which I promise for I must leaue it all ere it bee long Will you haue my soule Why not it belongs not to mee I will not hinder you from taking that which you haue giuen me you shal with heart good will haue whatsoeuer you demand But what then I had rather offer it my selfe than giue it when I am demanded what need you to haue taken it away from me You may indeede take it but you shall not take it from mee for nothing is taken away but from him that resists but I am not constrained I endure it not against my will herein I yeelde not to God but onely consent to his will The fire tries gold and mysery men of courage But why then doth God endure the iniuries done to good men Why quight cōtrarie hee doth not endure it He remoues all euils far
world what is there more to bee found but a dayly conflict and combate with the diuell a continuall warre where wee must be dayly at hand blows to receiue and entertain his charges We carrie on our armes in front vpon the flanke and on the back auarice impudicity choler and ambition we must wrastle incessantly with losse of breath against the desire of the flesh the allurements of the world Mans vnderstanding being assaulted battered on al sides by Sathās artillery knowes not whither to retire or how to resist but with great dāger If auarice be vāquished then cōcupiscence marcheth fair large if this be repelled ambitiō giues the onset Ambitiō being discōfited choler is in a mutinie pride mounts on horfebacke drūkennes storms enuy giues th' alarme discord cuts off all hope of recōciliatiō Thou art vrged to do that which the law forbids thou promisest that which is not lawful for thee to perform Seeing the soule is continually subiect to so many euils seeing so many dāgers attend vs without ceasing is it possible that wee can take any great pleasure to be here amongst the diuels glittering trenchāt blades Wee might rather bee desirous by a ready and sudden death to bee quickly conueyed to Iesus Christ as he himself hath sufficiētly summoned vs saying Verely verely Iohn 16. I say vnto you you shall weepe and lament and the worlde shall reioice but your sadnesse shal be conuerted into ioy I know no man but he takes delight to go to a place where mirth is and no body seekes after sadnesse and mourning The same Lord sets downe when our sadnesse shal be turned into ioy saying I will see you once again and your hearts shall reioice when no man shal be able to take your ioy away from you Seeing then that there is nothing but ioy in seeing of Iesus Christ and that wee cannot bee truely ioyfull but in seeing of him what a blindnesse and folly is it to loue anguish the trauels and miseries of the world in stead of chearefully imbracing the life ioyes eternall This fals out my deare brethren for want of faith Men thinke that what God promiseth who is truth it selfe and whose word is eternall and inuiolable towards those that beleeue shuld not be performed If any honorable mā of authority and place should promise thee this or that thou wouldst make account of it beleeuing that he whōthou knowest to be very obseruant of his word would not abuse or deceiue thee Hearkē therfore to God who speaks vnto thee yet like a disloyal wretch as thou art wilt thou stil wauer in inconstancie God promiseth vnto thee perpetuall eternall life at thy departure out of this world doubtest thou thereof This is the true ignorance of God to offend by incredulity Iesus Christ the Doctor of all beleeuers to liue faithlesse in the house of faith which is the Church Christ the Author of our good saluation shewes the profit which redownds vnto vs by death when hee obserued his disciples sadnesse because he had told them of his departure out of this world he said vnto thē If you loued mee Iohn 14. you would be ioyfull for my going to my Father teaching vs by this to bee merrie and not sad when our friends doe but as it were dislodge out of this life Saint Paul being mindfull of such a matter entreateth therof in one of his Epistles and sayeth Christ is gaine vnto me both in life and death he reputing it for a wonderfull gaine to bee no longer detained by the snares of this world Phil. 3. to be no more subiect to the sinnes and vices of the flesh to bee exempted from all afflictions deliuered from the diuels iawes and to goe into the ioyes of eternal saluation whither his Sauiour called him Some wonder to see the heate of this disease lay hold on Christians aswel as on Infidels as if Christians had receiued the promises of the Gospel to bee touched with no discōmodities before the performāce of the same but to enioy at their pleasures the happinesse of this world whereas on the contrary he is tormented with a thousand euils here below that by this means he may conceiue how eternal ioyes are reserued for him But whereas we finde it strange that the plague shuld sweep away Christians aswel as Infidels haue we any priuiledge in this worlde from others so long as we are clad in this mortall body correspondent to the lawe of our first birth While we liue here belowe wee are ioyned with other men by the bonds of this corruptible flesh but so in spirit wee are separated from them While therefore this corruptible puts on incorruption our mortall parts be made immortall and that we ascend to God our Father all the discōmodities of the world are common to vs and we haue our shares therin with other men For example when any Frosts procure the earths sterility euery one hath his part in the famine ensuing If an enemie take into his hands any towne all the inhabitants lose their liberty together when the seasons are cleare and scorching all are constrained to endure this drought and if the rockes split a shippe asunder the passengers perish We are subiect as others be to the infirmity of the eyes to burning agues and to all kinds of diseases that afflict all the members of the body as long as we liue a mortall life in this world aswell as other men Nay and if a Christian man doe but well vnderstand vpon what couenants hee beleeued in God hee will conceiue and be clearly resolued that he ought to bee in conflict more than others by reason hee hath a continuall warre aboue all others against the diuel The holy Scriptures teach admonish vs of this saying My sonne when thou entrest into Gods seruice bee firme in righteousnes feare and prepare thy soule for temptation Also perseuer in sorrowe and feare be patient in humilitie for yron tryes both golde and siluer In this manner Iob hauing lost his goods and children and being all spread ouer with botches and sores yet was hee not vanquished for all this but onely tried considering that in all his paines and griefe hee shewed the patience of a man that feared God when hee sayd Naked came I out of my mothers wombe Iob 1. 2 and naked I must returne to the earth againe GOD gaue and GOD tooke away as God would so hath it happened blessed be the name of the Lord. And his wife importuning him to growe impatient and to belch out some blasphemous cōplaint against God his aunswere was thou speakest like a fool for if wee haue receiued good from Gods hand why should we not also suffer euils from him During al these hard accidents Iob neuer let any thing slip out of his mouth wherein God might be offended For so God himselfe witnesseth saying vnto Sathan Hast thou well considered my seruant Iob how ther
is not his like in the worlde Tobias after so many religious workes and so high commendations of his charitable pitie became blind and yet for all this he feared and blessed God in his afflictiō and he was the more worthy of praise in withstāding his wiues temptation who would haue corrupted him saying Where are thy good deedes Tob. 2. Thou soundly feelest now the euils which thou endurest but hee being settled in the loue of God and armed with the reuerence of his name to support all affliction he yeelded not in furie to such an assault but honoured the Lorde the more by this his second patience so that afterwards this testimoniall was giuen him by Raphael saying It is an excellent thing to vnderstand and magnifie the workes of God for when thou and thy faire daughter Sarra prayed I presented the same before the face of the Lord. And when thou didst bury the dead with out delay rising euē frō the table for this purpose I was sent to proue thee and to heale thee and thy faire daughter Sarra for I am Raphael one of the holy Angels which assisteth and am cōuersant before Gods brightnes The righteous alwaies shewed themselues patient and the Apostles knew well the Lordes meaning herein that his seruaunts should not murmure in aduersitie but couragiously and patiently endure whatsoeuer fell to their share in this world There was no sinne that the Iewish people ran oftener into thā this of murmuring and impatience against God as he himselfe declareth whē he addeth Let them cease from despiting me and they shall not die Dearest brethren wee must not murmure in aduersity but patiently and constantly indure whatsoeuer may happen calling to minde what is writtē that an afflicted spirit is an acceptable sacrifice Psal 51. vnto God and that hee reiects not the humble and contrite hart The holy Ghost also speakes by the mouth of Moyses The Lord thy God shal afflict thee send thee famine to make thee looke into thine owne hart whether thou keepest his commaundements or no. Also Deut. 8.13 the Lord your God tempteth you to knowe whether you loue the Lord your God withall your heart and with all your soule Obserue how Abraham was acceptable vnto God when to obey him he made no account to lead his owne sonne to death and so was ready to be a paricide Thou which canst not loose thy sonne hee being subiect to death as others are what wouldest thou doe if God should sentence thee to put thy selfe to death Faith the feare of God should make thee ready to performe whatsoeuer his pleasure is Though thou losest thy goods though diseases vexe and torment thee on all sides though thy wife thy children thy friends be haled frō thee by death all this should not make thee to shrink although such blowes bee very heauie such trials ought not to quaile and daunt the faith of a Christian but rather stirre vp his force and courage to fight considering that the assurance of a future good should make vs contemne the annoyaunce of all present euils There can bee no Victorie before the battel fought if after the comming to hand-blowes the fielde bee left by either side then the victor obtains a glorious crowne A good Pilot is discouered in the storm and a good souldier in the conflict It is but ridiculous to braue and brag when blowes are far off to set vp the bristles against aduersitie is a certaine brand and marke of vertue The tree deep rooted in the earth is not shakē with the blustring of windes the ship that is well keeled and strongly ribbed may well bee tossed but neuer pearced by the waues when wee winnowe the corne in the open ayre the sounde graine feares not the winde which quickly blowes away the straws and chaffe Euen so the Apostle S. Paul after his shipwracks whippings long and durable afflictiōs of body protested that such trials hurt him not at all but rather did stand him in great stead so that in the full course of all these calamities hee profited the more in good An angel of Sathan 2. Cor. 12. said he the sting of my flesh was sent to buffer mee for feare that I might bee puffed vp for the which I thrice prayed vnto the Lord that it might bee remooued from mee and hee sayd Let my grace suffice thee for my vertue is perfected in infirmitie When as therefore some infirmitie weaknesse or other aduersity doth rage then our vertue is made more perfect If proued faith perseuer at last it is crowned according to that which is sayd that the furnace tries the potters vessels and temptatiōs righteous men For the rest they which knowe not God differ from vs in this point that they murmure and complaine in aduersity and contrariwise afflictions are so farre from distracting vs from pietie and Iustice that wee are rather fortified by them amidst griefes and sorrow it selfe If the bloody fluxe did weaken vs if heate make the infirmities of our mouthes more grieuous if our stomacke be sore with continuall vomiting if our eyes looke red like blood if any one lose his feete or other members when hee is constrained to cut them off because they are ready to fal away in pieces if by diuers lāguors maladies happening to the body the strength of the legs come to diminish the hearing be deafened or the sight dulled all this learnes vs to profit more and more in the grace of God What notable valour is this to enter couragiously into the field against so many plagues and euils Can any man obscure his excellencie that stands firme amidst so sundry resolutions without declining or falling to them that put not their trust in God Hee must vnfainedly reioyce and thinke the time well employed when in making trial of his faith and trauailing couragiously we march vnto heauē by the strait gate to receiue from Christ our Iudge the reward of our faith and of eternall life Let him feare death who hauing neuer beene regenerate with water and the spirit is ordained to hell fire He that hath no part in the crosse and death of Christ hee that enters by the first into the second death he that when he leaues this present life is tormented with perpetuall flames hee that onely stands through Gods patience whose sorrow and griefe is only differred and not forgotten Let such an one I say feare death Many of our brothers are dead of this plague which is to say many of them are deliuered out of the worlde As such a mortalitie is a plague to the Iewes Painimes who are Christs enemies so is it a comfortable departure to the seruants of God Though the iust die aswell as the vniust yet think not that good men die the like death as the wicked The children of God are taken into a place of ease repose but the reprobate are drawen to the punishment of eternal fire the beleeuers are presently taken